Dish of Fish in Chettinad Sauce
(click to enlarge)

Fish in Chettinad Sauce


India, Tamil Nadu   -   Meen Kulambu
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 2-3/4 #
***
1-1/2 hrs
Yes		 An amazing fish kulambu with lots of intensely flavorful sauce to go with your rice. It's from the refined cuisine of Chettinad in Tamil Nadu.

1-1/2
-------
1/4
1/4
-------
7
7
1/2
1
-------
2
1
1
2
1/2
1
-------
6
1/2
1/2
1/2
1/2
-------
3
2
1/2
1-1/2
1/3
#
---
t
t
---
oz
cl
in

---
t
t
t
t
t
t
---

t
t
t
t
---
T
c
T
c
c
Fish Fillets (1)
-- Marinade
Turmeric
Salt
-- Aromatics
Onions
Garlic
Ginger Root
Green Chili (2)
-- Spicing
Cumin seed
Coriander seed
Pepper, black
Chili Powder (3)
Turmeric
Salt
-- Tempering
Curry Leaves (4)
Fenugreek seed
Fennel seed
Cumin seed
Urad Dal (5)
------------
Oil
Tomato Sauce (6)
Tamarind pulp (7)  
Water
Cilantro
Prep   -   (45 min)
  1. Cut FISH into pieces about 1 inch wide and 1-1/2 inches long by whatever thickness your fillets are.
  2. If not using concentrate, prepare TAMARIND as described in Note-7.
  3. Grind Cumin and Coriander in your spice grinder. Mix all Spicing items.
  4. Chop ONIONS fairly fine. Quarter GARLIC lengthwise. Slice GINGER thin crosswise, cut slices into threads and chop threads. Cut GREEN CHILI in half lengthwise. Mix all Aromatics Items
  5. Mix all Tempering items.
  6. Chop CILANTRO medium. Measure is after chopping, lightly packed.
Run     -   (45 min)
  1. In a spacious coverable sauté pan (3 qt), heat Oil over moderate flame and fry Tempering mix until Urad is lightly colored (about 30 seconds).
  2. Stir in the Aromatics mix and fry stirring until Onions are just translucent.
  3. Stir in ground Spicing mix until well mixed.
  4. Stir in Tamarind, Tomato Sauce and Water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer, stirring now and then for about 15 minutes.
  5. Check consistency. Add boiling water if needed - the onions and roasted spices will have thickened it.
  6. Stir in Fish, bring back to a simmer and continue to simmer covered for another 4 to 8 minutes, depending on your fish.
  7. Check for Salt, then gently stir in Cilantro and take off the heat.
  8. Serve with plenty of steamed Jasmine rice (it's closer to the rice used in southern India than Basmati is). This recipe reheats very well if the right fish is used, in fact, the pattern recipe suggests giving it a rest and reheating it.
NOTES:

  1. Fish:

      Select fish durable with wet cooking. My favorites are Golden Pompano and Japanese Amberjack, but Cobia, Cod, and Emperor are also fine. Also Catfish, American or Vietnamese (Swai, Basa, Tra). The photo example is with Tilapia, my standard for testing recipes. It is more tender than some, so treat it gently. For stronger tasting fish, Indian Mackerel or other Mackerel are good. All these fish often appear in Asian markets here in Los Angeles, particularly Philippine markets. For details see our Varieties of Fish page (very large page).

  2. Green Chili:

      Indian green chilis are only erratically available, even here in Los Angeles, so our fall-back hot green chili is the Serrano. The pattern recipe calls for "two green chilis cut in half", but serranos are larger and hotter than Indian green chilis, so we call for only one.

  3. Chili Powder:

      Here is where you control the hotness of the dish. I use Indian Khandella or Reshampatti, which are quite hot. This is perfect for me, and probably similar to how it would be in Chettinad, but use your own best judgement. Many people will like it made with a milder chili powder (but don't wimp out). For details see our Indian Chilis page.

  4. Curry Leaves

      These fresh leaves are necessary for the true flavor of southern India, and are now reasonably available in Indian markets, at least here in California. Commercially dried ones aren't of much use. If you don't have them you will have to leave them out - there is no acceptable substitute. For details see our Curry Leaves page.

  5. Urad Dal:

      [Black Gram]   This tiny white dal is available in most Indian markets. If you don't have it, omitting it will not make a big difference in the recipe. For details see our Urad Beans page.

  6. Tomato Sauce:

      The writer of the pattern recipe allows 2 cups of puréed Tomatoes, but strongly favors tomato sauce, as do I. A very simple sauce is in order. My favorite is Faraon Spanish Style, but other simple sauces will also work, even Goya Spanish Style, if you aren't still boycotting them for enthusiastically endorsing Trump on TV. If you use puréed Tomatoes, you will probably want to cut back a bit on the added water.

  7. Tamarind:

      This recipe is very low in Tamarind, getting its sourness from tomatoes, so some from a jar of concentrate should be fine. Otherwise, make it from about 1 Tablespoon of block form soaked in warm water. If you don't have tamarind use 1 t lemon juice - not the same, but it's something. For details and exact method see our Tamarind page.

  8. Chettinad

      Though not right on the coast, Chettinad was home to very wealthy bankers and international traders, especially in the spice trade. The district, a bit south of central Tamal Nadu, is famous for the fabulous mansions scattered about the region, mansions that could easily pass as palaces. It's also famous for its refined, but somewhat spicy, cuisine.
  9. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
imf_fishchet1 210812 chetk74   -   www.clovegarden.com
©Andrew Grygus - agryg@aaxnet.com - Linking to and non-commercial use of this page is permitted.